Main strap around an amplifier with holding strap to hold guitar

ABSTRACT

An improved guitar support assembly includes a main strap assembly which encircles an amplifier. The main strap assembly has an elastic section to provide for tight engagement between the strap assembly and amplifiers of different dimensions. A holding strap is connected with the main strap assembly and releasably engages the neck portion of a guitar to hold the guitar in an upright position when it is not being played.

United States Patent Campagna, Jr. 1

[151 3,664,224 [451 May 23, 1972 MAIN STRAP AROUND AN AMPLIFIER WITH HOLDING STRAP To HOLD GUITAR Inventor: James V. Campagna, Jr., 2008 Magee Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107 Apr. 14, 1971 1 Filed:

Appl. No.:

u.s. c1 ..84/1.0l, 84/l.l6, 84/327, 84/453 1111. c1. ....;..Gl0h 1/00 Field olSe'arch ....84/l, 1.01, 1.14-1.16, 84/267, 321, 453; 24/17 R, 265 s11; 248/104, 231, 361 A References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS .Stevenson ..84/327 X 5/1924 Kidwell ..24/17 R X 2,288,463 6/1942 Kislingbury ..84/l 16 I 2,547,924 4/1951 Citro 84/327 2,559,200 7/1951 Schaf ...84/267 2,796,795 6/1957 Bach 84/267 X 2,911,872 11/1959 Carl..... 84/453 X 3,251,258 5/1966 Parker ..84/453 3,296,916 1/1967 Palmer ..84/l

Primaiy Examiner-'Darrell 1.. Clay I Assistant Examiner--Stanley J. Witkows'ki Att0rneyYount & Tarolli s7 ABSTRACT An improved guitar support assembly includes a main strap assembly which encircles an amplifier. The main strap assembly I has anelastic section to provide for tight engagement between the strap assembly and amplifiers of different dimensions. A holding strap is connected with the main strap assembly and releasably engages the neck portion of a guitar to hold the guitar in an upright position when it is not being played.

8 Chins, 4 Drawing Figures MAIN STRAP AROUND AN AMPLIFIER WITH HOLDING STRAP TO HOLD GUITAR The present inventionrelates generally to a guitar support assembly and more particularly to a support assembly which holds the guitar in a predeten'nined positional relationship relative to an amplifier when the guitar is not in use.

Musicians in bands and other instrumental groups have previously used a stand to hold a guitar when it is not being played. However, the space which is available for the stand is frequently quite limited so that a stand would be in the way. Therefore, musicians usually find that the use of a guitar stand in cramped quarters is quite bothersome and have frequently dispensed with it. When this is done, the guitar is merely leaned up against a chair or other object during intermissions or other periods when the guitar is not being played. Of course, there is a substantial danger that the guitar may be knocked over or otherwise damaged when it is leaned against or laid on a chair or other object.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved guitar support assembly which is very compact and can be used in relatively cramped quarters to support a guitar when it is not being played.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and irn proved guitar support assembly which includes a strap assembly which encircles an amplifier associated with the guitar and supports the guitar in a predetermined positional relationship relative to the amplifier when the guitar I is not being played Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved guitar support assembly in accordance with the next preceding object and wherein the strap assembly includes an elastic section which maintains the strap assembly in tight encircling engagement with the amplifier.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved guitar support assembly which includes a main strap arrangement for tightly encircling an amplifier and a holding strap arrangement which is adapted to engage the neck of the guitar to hold the guitar in a predetermined positional relationship relative to the amplifier.

These and other objects and feattires of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view illustrating the relationship between an electric guitar, an amplifier, and a guitar support assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the guitar support assembly without the amplifier;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2, illustrating a releasable holding strap which is provided in the guitar support assembly to engage the neck portion of a guitar; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, taken generally along the line 4- 4 of FIG. 1, illustrating the relationship between the guitar support assembly, front speaker cloth or screen of the amplifier, and a neck portion of the guitar.

A guitar support assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. I in association with an amplifier 12 for an electric guitar 14. The guitar sup port assembly 10 encircles the amplifier l2 and engages a neck portion I6 of the guitar 14 to maintain the guitar in the upright position of FIG. 1. While the guitar is so held, the

guitar will not fall over and be damaged if someone should brush against it. Of course, when the guitar 14 is to be played, it is, disengaged from the support assembly 10 and held in the usual manner.

The guitar 14 is connected with the amplifier 12 by an eiec- I trical cord 20. When the guitar 14 is being played, the amplifier I2 amplifies electrical signals conducted to it from the guitar over the conductor 20. Since the general construction The guitar support assembly 10 includes a main strap assembly 24 which encircles the amplifier'l2. The main strap as- To enable the guitar support assembly 10 to be utilized with amplifiers of many different sizes, the slide 40 can be moved along the elastic band 32 to vary the extent or length of the mid-section 30. As the slide 40 is moved, the D-rings 36-are separated slightly to enable the band 32 to also move relative to the D-rings. Once the mid-section 30 has been adjusted so a that the strap assembly 24 has a length which is somewhat smaller than the circumference of the amplifier 12, the band is merely slipped around the amplifier 12 by elastically stretching the band 32. The natural resilience of the band 32 will then maintain the strap assembly 24 in tight engagement withthe amplifier 12.

A releasable leather holding strap 48 is connected to the main strap assembly 24 and extends around the neck portion 16 of the guitar 14 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 to hold the in an upright position. The holding strap 48 is flexible and is connected at one end to the side strap 26 by a suitable ring 50 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The other end of the holding strap 48 is releasably connected with the side strap 28 by a connector assembly 52. Although many difierent types of connector assemblies can be utilized, the connector assembly 52 includes a snap hook 54 of known construction having an end portion and manner of operation of the guitar 14 and amplifier 12 are well known to those skilled in the art, they will not be further described herein to avoid prolixity of description.

56 which is connected with the side strap 28. A ring 58 connected with the holding strap 40 engages a hook portion 60 of the snap hook 54. The ring 58 can be released from the hook portion 60 by merely depressing a resilient tongue or keeper 64 in a known manner.

During a playing of the guitar, it is contemplated that the holding strap will either be engaged by the connector 52 or be allowed to hang downwardly. When the musician is finished playing the guitar 14, the lower portion or body of the guitar is placed in abutting engagement with the front of the amplifier 12 and a floor or other support surface 70. The disengaged holding strap is then placed around the neckportion 16 of the guitar and the ring 58 engaged with the connector 52 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The holding strap 48, then retains the guitar in the upright position of FIG. 1 so that it doesnt fall over and become damaged if someone should accidentally brush against it. When the guitar 14 is to again be played, the ring 58 is disengaged from the connector 52 to release the neck of the guitar so that the musician can hold it in a usual manner.

The guitar 14 is easily moved between the storage position shown in FIG. I and a playing position since the amplifier 12 will be located in the general area in which a musician will play the guitar 14. It should be noted that the guitar support assembly 10 takes up very little space in addition to that occupied by the amplifier 12 so that it can be used in relatively cramped quarters without unduly interfering with movement of the musicians. Also, it should be noted that the guitar support assembly 10 can be readily placed on and removed from the amplifier 12 without drilling holes or otherwise damaging the amplifier. The elastic section 30 of the guitar support assembly I0 is resiliently deformable to enable thesupport assembly to be utilized with amplifiers of difierent sizes.

When the guitar 14 is disposed in the upright position of FIG. 1, the side straps 26 and 28 extend across the front frame or side sections 74 and 76 of the amplifier and are spaced from the speaker cloth or screen 78. To prevent the side sections 28 from rotating or turning, the main strap, assembly 10 includes side strap 26 extends from the front of the back strip 82 through an opening 84 to the rearof the back strip to which it is riveted at 86. Similarly, the side strap 28 extends through an opening in the back strip 82 and is connected to the rear of the back strip by a rivet at 94.

The back strip 82 has a rearwardly bowed or bent configuration so that it engages the speaker screen 78 to prevent the side straps 26 and 28 from rotating. Accordingly, a flexible leather support strip 100 extends tautly across the back strip 82 and is spaced from the central portion of the back strip (see FIG. 4) when the guitar support assembly is disposed on the amplifier 12. The support strip 100 provides a tuatly stretched resilient resting surface for the neck portion 16 of the guitar 14.

The support strip 100 extends from a connection 102 on the side strap 26 across the rear of the rivet connection 86 through the opening 84. The support strip 100 then extends from the opening 84 across the front of the back strip 82 to the opening 90. Finally, the support strip is riveted at 106 and 108 to the side strap 28 on opposite sides of the ring section 56 of the connector hook 54. This particular manner of connecting the support strip 100 has been found to be particularly advantageous since it conceals the connections between the side straps 26 and 28 and base strip 82. In addition, this manner of connecting the support strip 100 anchors the connector 52 relative to the side strap 28.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the guitar support assembly 10 includes a main strap assembly 24 which encircles an amplifier 12. An elastic mid-section 30 of the main strap assembly 24 maintains the main strap assembly in tight engagement with the amplifier and enables it to be used with many different sizes of amplifiers. Once the main strap assembly 24 has been disposed upon an amplifier, the holding strap 48 is engageable with the neck portion 16 of the guitar to hold the guitar in an upright position against the amplifier 12.

Having described a specific preferred embodiment of the invention, the following is claimed: 7

1. An assembly comprising an electric guitar, an amplifier for amplifying electric signals generated upon a playing of said guitar, a conductor interconnecting said guitar and said amplifier to conduct the electrical signals to said amplifier, and a strap assembly tightly encircling said amplifier, said strap assembly including releasable means for retaining said guitar in a predetermined positional relationship with said amplifier during a period of time when said guitar is not being played.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strap assembly further includes elastic means for maintaining said strap assembly in tight encircling engagement with said amplitier.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable means includes means for engaging a neck portion of said guitar to retain said guitar in the predetermined positional relationship with said amplifier.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable means includes a flexible strap and catch means for releasably connecting one end portion of said flexible strap to said strap assembly.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strap as sembly includes a base element and a flexible strip which is operatively connected with and extends tautly across at least a portion of said base element, said guitar having a neck portion which engages said flexible strip when said guitar is in the predetermined positional relationship with said amplifier.

GtAn assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said base element is .disposed in abutting engagement with said amplifier and a central portion of said strip is spaced from said base element.

7. An assembly comprising main strap means for tightly encircling an amplifier, holding strap means connected at a first end portion with said main strap means for engaging a neck portion of a guitar to retain the guitar in a predetermined positional relationship'with the amplifier, and releasable connector means olperatively connected with said main strajp means for releasab y connecting a second end portion of sal holding strap means with said main strap means to enable said holding strap means to be moved between a release position in which the neck portion of the guitar is freely movable relative to said amplifier and an engaged position in which said releasable connector means engages said holding strap means to enable it to retain the guitar in the desired positional relationship with said amplifier. 8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said main strap means includes elastic means for maintaining said main strap means in tight encircling engagement with the amplifier. 

1. An assembly comprising an electric guitar, an amplifier for amplifying electric signals generated upon a playing of said guitar, a conductor interconnecting said guitar and said amplifier to conduct the electrical signals to said amplifier, and a strap assembly tightly encircling said amplifier, said strap assembly including releasable meanS for retaining said guitar in a predetermined positional relationship with said amplifier during a period of time when said guitar is not being played.
 2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strap assembly further includes elastic means for maintaining said strap assembly in tight encircling engagement with said amplifier.
 3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable means includes means for engaging a neck portion of said guitar to retain said guitar in the predetermined positional relationship with said amplifier.
 4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable means includes a flexible strap and catch means for releasably connecting one end portion of said flexible strap to said strap assembly.
 5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strap assembly includes a base element and a flexible strip which is operatively connected with and extends tautly across at least a portion of said base element, said guitar having a neck portion which engages said flexible strip when said guitar is in the predetermined positional relationship with said amplifier.
 6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said base element is disposed in abutting engagement with said amplifier and a central portion of said strip is spaced from said base element.
 7. An assembly comprising main strap means for tightly encircling an amplifier, holding strap means connected at a first end portion with said main strap means for engaging a neck portion of a guitar to retain the guitar in a predetermined positional relationship with the amplifier, and releasable connector means operatively connected with said main strap means for releasably connecting a second end portion of said holding strap means with said main strap means to enable said holding strap means to be moved between a release position in which the neck portion of the guitar is freely movable relative to said amplifier and an engaged position in which said releasable connector means engages said holding strap means to enable it to retain the guitar in the desired positional relationship with said amplifier.
 8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said main strap means includes elastic means for maintaining said main strap means in tight encircling engagement with the amplifier. 